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Comparison Between Marijuana Smoked in Cigarette Paper Versus Cigar Paper
This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.
First Received: September 7, 2006   Last Updated: August 26, 2008   History of Changes
Sponsors and Collaborators: New York State Psychiatric Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Information provided by: New York State Psychiatric Institute
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00374127
  Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether or not marijuana blunts will produce comparable plasma THC levels as marijuana joints and if blunts will produce larger cardiovascular and subjective effects.


Condition Intervention Phase
Marijuana Dependence
Drug: Marijuana
Phase II

MedlinePlus related topics: Marijuana
Drug Information available for: GW-1000 Cannabis
U.S. FDA Resources
Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Prevention, Randomized, Single Blind, Placebo Control, Single Group Assignment, Pharmacokinetics/Dynamics Study
Official Title: Comparison Between Marijuana Smoked in Cigarette Paper (Joints) Versus Cigar Paper (Blunts)

Further study details as provided by New York State Psychiatric Institute:

Estimated Enrollment: 36
Study Start Date: December 2004
Estimated Study Completion Date: August 2006
Detailed Description:

There has been a rapid increase in marijuana use during the 1990s, with the most recent generation often smoking marijuana in the form of 'blunts' as opposed to more traditional routes such as in pipes or in cigarette paper. A blunt is made by removing the tobacco from a cigar and replacing it with marijuana (Golub and Johnson, 1999). The cigar wrapper contains tobacco and nicotine, which may interact with the cardiovascular and subjective effects of the marijuana to produce a different set of effects and risks than cigarette paper. Anecdotally, marijuana smokers report that blunts are more potent than joints, yet there have been no controlled studies addressing whether blunts enhance the subjective-effects and health-related consequences of marijuana use. We are proposing to do a within-subject, placebo-controlled study directly comparing the cardiovascular, subjective and pharmacokinetic effects of marijuana smoked in blunts compared to identical quantities of marijuana smoked in cigarette paper. Research volunteers will be current blunt smokers. Each will participate in six, 4-hour outpatient sessions. After baseline data have been collected (heart rate, blood pressure, mood scales, exhaled carbon monoxide, plasma THC and nicotine levels), participants will take 3 puffs, 5 seconds in duration, from a NIDA marijuana cigarette containing 0.0, 1.8 and 3.6% THC or from a blunt containing an equivalent quantity and strength of marijuana. Participants will be blind to the type of marijuana cigarette smoked. We will measure plasma THC and nicotine, subjective mood ratings, and heart rate and blood pressure repeatedly over the course of 180 minutes following smoking. This study is the first controlled investigation of the consequences of this new method of marijuana smoking; the data obtained may be useful in guiding future development of marijuana pharmacotherapy.

  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:   21 Years to 45 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Current blunt marijuana use (minimum of twice/week) drug screen
  • 21-45 years of age
  • Practicing an effective form of birth control (condoms, diaphragm, birth control pill, IUD)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current, repeated illicit drug use(excluding marijuana)
  • Heavy cigarette use (> 10 cigarettes/day)
  • Presence of significant medical illness (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension)
  • Laboratory tests outside normal limits that are clinically unacceptable to the study physician (BP > 140/90; hematocrit < 34 for women, < 36 for men)
  • Significant adverse reaction to marijuana
  • Current parole or probation
  • Pregnancy or current lactation
  • History of significant violent behavior
  • Major current Axis I psychopathology(e.g., mood disorder with functional impairment or suicide risk, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia)
  • History of heart disease
  • Current use of any over-the-counter or prescription
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00374127

Locations
United States, New York
New York State Psychiatric Institute
New York, New York, United States, 10032
Sponsors and Collaborators
New York State Psychiatric Institute
Investigators
Principal Investigator: Margaret Haney, Ph.D. New York State Psychiatric Institute
  More Information

No publications provided

Study ID Numbers: 4683
Study First Received: September 7, 2006
Last Updated: August 26, 2008
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00374127     History of Changes
Health Authority: United States: Institutional Review Board

Keywords provided by New York State Psychiatric Institute:
Marijuana
Comparison between joints and blunts
Pharmacokinetic effects

Study placed in the following topic categories:
Mental Disorders
Substance-Related Disorders
Disorders of Environmental Origin
Marijuana Abuse

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Mental Disorders
Substance-Related Disorders
Disorders of Environmental Origin
Marijuana Abuse

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 07, 2009